It's a cold, gray, dreary day, and I'm enjoying it! My next class isn't until 3:00, so I just thought I'd post an update since my last post was so depressing!
Quite a few things have changed since last I wrote -- for the better. After that week of misery when I posted last time, I decided things had to change. I can't spend 8 hours a day in a room with no windows (besides the Operating System - HA!), writing code for a living. I would simply go insane. I also came to the conclusion that a lot of Computer Science and IT people can communicate with a machine more fluently than with another human. I've decided that I value communication too much to continue in that direction. I'm just not quite the geek I thought I was. :)
Obviously after deciding that, the next question became, "What am I going to do?!" I decided to take some online personality tests and career placement tests. They showed that I'm fairly well split between Mathematical/Scientific thinking and Artistic thinking. Surprise me!
It dawned on me recently that Computer Science is almost entirely mathematical and scientific, in both design and implementation. However, as a musician, writer, and lover of improvisation, I have this strong desire -- no, need -- for artistic design. I need for my designs to be artistic in nature. I can handle math and science, and I don't mind applying them during implementation... But I have a deep appreciation for art, and I value it highly. It is obvious to me that my artistic outlets are music and writing, and Comp Sci does not give me any room to express that artistic side of my personality.
So, with the aforementioned test results in hand, I went to meet with Donna Tucker, my transfer advisor who helped me decide to come to SEMO in the first place (Interestingly, her son is Sam, the manager of Hastings in Poplar Bluff). She had been, and still is, the nicest and most helpful person I'd dealt with here. I found out that, at age 20, she to had lost her sense of direction and actually dropped out of college; but after taking some tests like the ones I'd taken, she went on to get a degree in Public Relations. At last, someone who can communicate!
The career tests actually ranked my number one career as "Physician," but I hate biology and don't deal well with sick people -- especially kids. Too depressing. I have a real problem with mortality... Why do you think I like horror and vampires so much? haha... Dad always likes to tell everyone about the time I watched Our Town and cried for an hour because of all the death in that story.
Further down the list of careers, it mentioned pursuing a degree in Mass Communication; that caught my attention. I started looking into the Mass Communication program and found out that SEMO is one of only two colleges in Missouri with an accredited Mass Communication program, the other one being Mizzou. There are five "Options" within the program: Public Relations, Video Production, Journalism, Advertising, and..... Radio! Ding, ding, ding -- I'm interested! I've toured radio stations, and I love them!
I made all the necessary appointments, and I've talked to Dr. Tammy Baldwin and Dr. Bruce Mims. Dr. Baldwin is the interim chair of the Mass Communication program, and Dr. Mims is the head of the Radio Option and the college radio station, Rage 103.7. Unfortunately, the Radio Option classes all start in the fall, but I can get a jump start on the MC classes in the spring. The major also requires a minor. Fortunately, I'm only 3 credits away from a Math minor already, so I'm knocking that out of the way next semester as well - ironically enough, with a Computer Programming course. I also plan to minor in Business Administration; although it's a 30 hour minor (that's big!), it will actually help, since I want to get my Masters in Business Administration (MBA) anyway!
So, I will be working at the college radio station, Rage 103.7, next fall, or perhaps even sooner if Dr. Mims can figure out a way to plug me into that. I'm anxiously looking forward to learn how to use all the software there at the station. They gave me a tour of Rage, and all of their equipment is top of the line, like what you'd see in professional studios.
I don't know that I want to be an actual radio personality, although it could be fun. I think it would be amazing to become the Music Director, who actually picks the songs the station will play! What an artistic outlet! It involves technology, and I'd hear a lot of music that way. I'll be taking an Audio Production class, and next semester I'm taking Writing for the Mass Media. Sounds fun!
What I would ultimately like to do, after I get my MBA, is open and run my own music studio. It's a long shot, but I'm so passionate about music.
Last night, I was hanging out at the Baptist Student Center. Initially, it was just a study/coffee party with Alyssa, but more people showed up. The homework went in the backpack, and we went in the Chapel! :) Aaron hopped on the piano, Joshua on his new 12 string Takamine, Aaron and Alyssa grabbed mics, and I went to the sound board to mix. Fun!!! Got everything sounding great, then hopped on the drums that are set up in the BSC. The drums don't sound too bad, but the cymbals are crap. Anyway, we sat around and played music for hours. We learned East to West by Casting Crowns, and had it sounding great by the time we quit for the evening. We're going to perform it soon. Everyone was excited, because we'd never all played together. We also worked on an original arrangement Aaron had put together and played for Chapel in the past... but it sounded so much better with the full band sound.
After that, Aaron, Steven, Joshua, and I went to Huddle House to hang out and work on homework. This was around midnight. :) I got a waffle! haha! Yummy!
Steven, Joshua, and I came back and watched a couple episodes of The Simpsons, and I didn't get back to the dorm until well after 1:00. It was so nice to hang out with friends and just have fun!
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